My Pics Don't Lie: A Weight Loss Journal

As part of my ever evolving “Be Good to Beke” plan, I am going to start keeping an online weight loss journal. My plan is to tell you how much weight I’m losing, what kinds of things I’m finding that help…etc. etc. And probably (because it’s me) I’ll ramble on about a variety of weight loss related topics. Hopefully. I’m not above discussing the latest episode of Downton. Keep in mind that while I might have an opinion I am not a medical professional (nor do I play one on TV). Be sure when embarking on a healthy lifestyle transformation that you work with a medical professional...especially one who you trust.

So this is the deal. 

Over the past year and a half I have been on a pretty intense journey. 

I have lost oodles and oodles of weight. 

It’s not easy. Loosing oodles and oodles of weight. 

However, I have struggled over the past six months. It began with a plateau. A really long plateau. I decided to switch it up a bit and put myself on a newfangled eating plan. 

It started working. The scale started inching its way down again. 

Then we went on vacation. It’s not like enjoyed Krispy Kreme every morning. But vacation is vacation.

And then came the holidays. 

Even if I even think about eating chocolate cake I can gain 10 pounds in a day. I’m not kidding.

Anybody else have a metabolism as slow as the speedy checkout line at Wal-mart? 

At the beginning of this year, I decided I needed to get down to business and stop playing chicken with the scale. I put myself on a very low glycemic diet (I generally follow one anyway, but this time I am being very strict) and have been more consistent with the healthy lifestyle habits I have adapted.

It’s working. Yay! It’s a pretty incredible feeling. 

Over the weekend I was digging through some pics to send with an article I am writing. I needed some of Josiah when he was a baby. 

I found this little gem.

 

 That's me in the red. I know! I'm not pregnant or anything...that is all me. The Muffin and I were pastoring a small church and my parents (my mom is the pixie in black) came to dedicate Josiah. He wasn't quite 1 yet.

I can’t tell you how much the picture initially horrified me. I hadn’t realized how big I had gotten over the years. I also haven’t been able to comprehend what kind of progress I have made. I have lost a whole person. 

Do you know what makes me ashamed? How in the world did I let it get this far? I know many of you have felt the same way. 

I went from trim and healthy from morbidly obese in less than 10 years time. 

I can say that I have spent many years barely glancing at pictures of myself. I have squinted at myself through the mirror…hoping to see that skinnier girl looking back at me. 

While the picture certainly was depressing to see, it also encouraged me to keep on going. 

If you are in the midst of a weight loss transformation yourself, I want to encourage you to persevere. It might take longer than you plan. There might be days or months that seem like you have embarked on an impossible journey, but it is possible to change a life. 

I have a few things I would like to share with you this week (tools that have been helping me). 

Foodie

I am not an egg eater. Unless it’s baked up in a cake. Well. I found the cake. 

This recipe for a Chocolate Flax Muffin is from sugarfreemom.com. It is so yummy. I have a version of one every morning. Instead of coconut flour, however, I am using 2 T. of flax seed meal. I also might add a few pecans and caramel flavoring instead of the mint. It truly is delish.

Keep in mind that if you are not used to using sweetener (as opposed to sugar or honey) you might find the chocolate a little bitter. Just keeping on trying. If your goal is weight loss you don't need the sugar or honey. Find a sweetener that you are comfortable with. I find that this muffin hits the right spot. Don't leave out that pinch of salt. It is really makes a difference with the chocolate.

Move It! Move It!

Winter has been a bugger for me as far as exercise (all those screws and pins in my lower extremities protesteth much).  I am focusing on some exercises I can do that not only stretch out the achy parts, but also build my core. I love this seatedcore exercise. I make it a habit to try and walk a little more (park further away from the store and all that). I downloaded a free pedometer app on my phone, but it says I’ve walked about 400 steps all week. Crazy thing. My sister-in-law bought me a pedometer for my birthday last year, but I can’t seem to figure it out. It is much smarter. You notice I said for my birthday “last year”…I shouldn’t tell you that my birthday this year is in about a month and ½!

Scale Says!

Okay. Like I'm really going to tell you what it said this morning. What I can tell you is that I have lost 7 pounds this week. I know! So not typical, but I am on a 2 week jumpstart. I find I typically lose more weight initially. It then slows down to a pound or 2 a week.  I have lost 80 pounds over a year and a half. I think that's fairly safe.

Till next week!